Blue Dancer

Blue Dancer, water color on paper, 5x7 inch

During the day, she works in the Duty Free shop at Bangkok Airport.  At night she works in Doll House bar on Soi Cowboy.  Her mother, sister and sister’s two kids live in Sukothai, a place full of Buddha statues and temples a thousand years old.  She makes 30,000 Baht a month, sending half to her mother and sister. She tries to go with customers she likes, who know how to smile.  An Australian guy her to fly to Sydney for a week but she said no.  She doesn’t want to give up her daytime job.  It’s what keeps her life intact.

Jeffrey

Jeffrey, water color on paper, 5x7 inch

Jeffrey works for an Australian bank. He’s got a tax-free salary, company condo, living allowance and free flights back to Melbourne.  In his office, the ambitious and well-educated Thai-Chinese girls compete for his attention. Every night, there’s plenty of beer, bargirls and laughs.  Another year and he’ll never be able to live a normal life again. When the bank sends him back to Melbourne, his salary will go down and 30% will go to tax.  He’ll have to pay rent, clean his own house and buy his own airline tickets. Only the girls will be free. At least until the divorce…

Australian Guy

Australian Guy, water color on paper, 18x24 inch

 He’s been living in Thailand for ten years, owns a few beer bars in Pattaya and a Bangkok condo.  Some weekends, he heads over to Saigon, Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong or Phnom Penh.   Once every year, he goes back to Sydney for a month, sees his Mum and a few old mates, shaking his head, how can they live such routine lives?  Twenty year wedding anniversaries, a little house with a yard, a mortgage, promotion, maybe a raise.  Only the kids seem worth it